Apparatus and method for error correction in mobile wireless applications incorporating erasure table data

Abstract

A receiver ( 120 ) is configured to receive data over a communications link. A decapsulator ( 122 ) is coupled to the receiver and configured to create datagrams and erasure attributes associated with the datagrams. A decoder ( 124 ) is coupled to the decapsulator and configured to store the datagrams in a frame table ( 400 ) and to create codewords, the decoder storing the datagrams in table columns to create codewords in table rows, correcting the codewords, and configured to store the erasure attributes in an erasure table ( 552 ). The erasure table is characterized in that it comprises a plurality of entries ( 560 ), each of which is associated with a column of the frame table. Each entry is comprised of a plurality of elements ( 570 ).

1. A device supporting error correction, comprising:
 a receiver configured to receive data over a communications link; 
 a decapsulator coupled to the receiver and configured to create datagrams and erasure attributes associated with the datagrams; 
 a decoder coupled to the decapsulator and configured to store the datagrams in a frame table and to create codewords, the decoder storing the datagrams in table columns to create table rows as codewords, selectively correcting the codewords based on the erasure attributes, and configured to store the erasure attributes in an erasure table that includes a plurality of entries, each entry being associated with a table column in the frame table and including a plurality of elements, each element including a plurality of fields that store the erasure attributes associated with the datagrams; and 
 a user interface coupled to the decoder and configured to render images corresponding with corrected datagrams on the user interface. 
 
     
     
       2. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the decapsulator is configured to generate at least three levels of erasure attributes associated with the datagrams, and the erasure table elements are configured to store at least three levels of erasure attributes associated with the datagrams. 
     
     
       3. The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a pointer table configured to identify a location of an element of an entry in the erasure table. 
     
     
       4. The device of  claim 1 , further comprising an erasure generator including a plurality of comparators coupled to a selector, the erasure generator being connected to the erasure table and configured to generate an erasure assignment for each entry in the erasure table. 
     
     
       5. The device of  claim 3 , further comprising an erasure generator including a plurality of comparators coupled to a selector, the erasure generator being connected to the erasure table and configured to generate an erasure assignment for each entry in the erasure table. 
     
     
       6. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the communications link is a wireless link and the data is digital television data. 
     
     
       7. A method of processing error correction, comprising:
 receiving data over a communications link; 
 decapsulating the data to create datagrams and erasure attributes associated with the datagrams; 
 decoding the datagrams by storing the datagrams in a frame table and creating codewords, the decoder storing the datagrams in table columns to create table rows as codewords, selectively correcting the codewords based on the erasure attributes, and storing the erasure attributes in an erasure table that includes a plurality of entries, each entry being associated with a table column in the frame table and including a plurality of elements, and each element including a plurality of fields that store the erasure attributes associated with the datagrams; and 
 rendering images corresponding with corrected datagrams on the user interface. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein decapsulating comprises generating at least three levels of erasure attributes associated with the datagrams, and the erasure table elements storing at least three levels of erasure attributes associated with the datagrams. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising identifying a location of an element of an entry in the erasure table with a pointer table. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising forming an erasure generator connected to the erasure table and configured to couple a plurality of comparators to a selector and to generate an erasure assignment for each entry in the erasure table. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising forming an erasure generator connected to the erasure table and configured to couple a plurality of comparators to a selector and to generate an erasure assignment for each entry in the erasure table. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the communications link is a wireless link and the data is digital television data.